Process of preparing potable waters.



I 937,210. No Drawing.

' To'uZl tvhom mayic oncem: v I -Be t known. thatl, JOHN T. HARR a s ATns PA E T. orrion.

Joint 'r. annals, or new roman; Y. Pnocnss or memes 11 0mm wa'rrzas,

- citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State potable waters, and is intended more of New York, have invented certain new and pseful Improvementsiin Processes of Preparing Potable .Waters, of which the followmg is a specification. ,l p i This invention is a methodof preparing an ticularl for the treatment of waters for the remova there-from of vorganic matter, mineral salts and sus ended particles, and the production of-acear, bright and palatable water, sterilized and free from color;

are added to thewater, or. prod-ucedtherein,

compounds ofthe twot-riv'alent metals, aluminum and iron; in connection with-these I preferto add to or produce in the water a compound-of copper. 7

.The corn ounds to the action of which the water is so jected'may be soluble, as for instance the respective (sulfates, 'which are slowly decomposed by the actionof. the soluble carbonates of, potable waters ielding hydroxids or carbonates. I prefer h ,to add 'to the liquid or to produce directly:

therein a'niixed coagulum containin the hydroxids of aluminum and iron, or 0 these metals 'and copper. In most cases I preferv to produce the compounds directly 1n the liquid to be treate'd by electrolysis, employingfor this purpose the respective metals as anodes in the liquid.

'As an example-of the preferred einbodi ment of. my method, I may proceed asfollows: A flowing stream of w water is subjected in a suitable conduit or tank to electrolysis between electrodesof opposite polarity, the

ofiron, and the cathodsconsistin of'iron or other suitable metal; The ano es are attackedyieldingthe corresponding hydroxids and producing a mixedcoagulum containing the same. The am'perage employed will of course degend'upoIi-the' olume ofliquid to be 't'reate in '.a-given t1me and upon the electrode area. The coa ulumflogether with such impurities originaly contained in the liquid as are assoclated-therewlth, 1s separated by filtration,*decantation or otherwlse,

. taneous actionof compounds of iron and .ISpeoifleation bfiatters Patent. I 0ft, .I Application filed November 20, mos. s m m. a44,s2 a.

aluniinum are far superiorto those obtained by treatment with compounds of either of these metals used alone, this superiority appearln not onl inthe increased clarifying effect ut'in" t e presence in the clarified ,waterof smaller residual proportions of the compounds of the two-metals, iron, and'alu minum, If compounds of either of these metals be used alone its precipitation in nor mal. waters will be found to be incomplete, .more partlcula-rly' in the case of iron, in the use 'of which the water'is often' detrimentally afl'ected by the iron salts retained in solution. -v.When-however compounds of both iron and aluininum are added, the precipitation of both metals is found in practice to be -substantiallycomplete.- l I,

In connection with. the anodes of aluv mlnum and iron above'described I. refer to employ an electrode or electrodes 0 copper,

producing thereby in connectionfiithfithc mixed coaguluni described a certain quantity i of a soluble or' insoluble compound'of copper the composition ofthe sam'e'de ending uponith'e character of the soluble sa ts contained inthe water thereby more effectively and 1 rapidlyv sterjiz pg the liquid. The

' anodes consisting of plates of aluminum and in the presence offhydroxils c does not affect fitalfle-characterfibfthe water; usually "a re ativtely sihkiimlectrpde .amountof copper requ ed is v'erysmall, and

surface of copper is employed. I have found moreover that copperisefiectiveforl falliis purpose whetherfemployed as-an'anode or cathode? i' e I claim: w 1. The. methods-- of preparing potabl I waters which consists in electrolyzing" water in contact with anodes 'presenting separat e. surfaces of iron andalunlmmnandan elect trade of copper,,'.'-. g q 2. The method of. preparing "potablewaters 'which' consists in electrolyzing water minum and a com condo opper. 5 r v 3. .The f metho ofiroftand alu- "1 j H ofpreparing potable wate'rsw-hich consists in electrolyzing water in' the resence'of ananode of atrivalent metal yielding a colloidal hydroxid and si-' multaneously subjecting the. water to the actionof a compound 0 cop er.

In testimony whereof, I a in presence of two witnesses. 4 JOHN T. HARRIS.

' Witnesses:

THos; A. Huromixs', S.V. NOBLE.

my signature 

